by Steve Kirby
Nobody’s perfect.
Chapter 1
The Wilsons had been looking for their dream home for years, they had been living in Ravenscliffe which wasn’t the best part of town but now Colin’s two oldest children Vicky and Ben from his first marriage had moved into their own flat so Colin and his second wife Rachel along with their twins Sally and George were ready for a move.
Colin’s first wife had (after drinking a half bottle of Gin and taking twenty sleeping pills) climbed into a hot bath and slit both wrists. At the post-mortem they discovered a catalogue of injuries most of which had not been treated, over time she had suffered six broken ribs, a broken nose, fractured cheekbone and her arm had been dislocated at some time possibly due to it being twisted violently. There were also minor burn and what appeared to be scald marks on her stomach legs and back it looked to everyone that she had suffered regular beatings for years, friends and neighbours told of her having black-eyes on numerous occasions.
Nothing could ever be proved and the children were too traumatised to be interviewed, so no charges were ever brought against Colin; he insisted that the injuries were caused by Angie being clumsy and falling asleep with hot cups of tea and lit cigarettes in her mouth; no one could ever remember Angie smoking.
Everyone knew the truth but without evidence there was nothing the police could do, the coroner recorded a verdict of suicide brought on by severe depression.
It wasn’t always like that when Colin and Angie first met in March 1978 they fell for each other instantly and were inseparable, it was a whirlwind romance and they were married in October of the same year they were as Colin once told her the “perfect couple”, Angie was a petite beauty, her raven hair framed her soft white face at five foot three she was towered over by the six foot frame of Colin, with his sandy hair and rugged looks he could have been an Australian surfer but he was bullied constantly at school, his sandy or “ginger” hair as his tormentors called it made him a daily target for them.
They moved into a rented two up one down mid terraced house in the small village of Oxbridge which consisted of fifty houses a church, post office, corner shop and a pub the “Red Lion” run by Tony and Anne Bottomley, They were both in their early forties, They had no children at the moment and with the clock ticking they had talked about adoption or IVF treatment.
The village was always a hive of gossip everyone knew everyone they also knew everything about everyone but it was very cosy and welcoming.
Angie And Colin fitted in well and were well liked by all the villagers, the house was a bit run down but together Colin and Angie made it very homely, the village was also just twenty minutes walk from Colin’s work.
Colin worked as a joiner at Wormalds kitchen manufacturers in Ravenscliffe, the wages weren’t brilliant but he enjoyed it and was slowly working his way up to Shift Foreman.
After six months of marriage Angie fell pregnant with Vicky, money was very tight so with a baby on the way Angie took a job in the red lion pub Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
Colin didn’t like the idea of his wife working he thought the people in the village were talking about him not being able to support his family and having to send his “pregnant wife” out to work, this began to play on Colin’s mind whenever he went anywhere in the village he was sure people were whispering behind his back.
Angie on the other hand loved the job, she loved the banter with the regulars she was enjoying her work and the bit of freedom to be herself so much that when the chance of an extra shift on Thursday night came up she jumped at it.
Angie felt really good in herself she was contributing to the household finically, her and Colin were getting on well (she thought) she was having their first baby and her job in the pub was perfect.
Angie used to finish at 11-30 each night and walk home with either the landlord Tony or more often than not it would be with Sarah the other barmaid who lived just two doors up from her.
When she came home she was always so full of excitement and used to talk constantly to Colin about who had been in the pub, what gossip she had been told and what was going on in the village and how much of a laugh she had had, Colin used to sit and listen but inside he was getting more and more jealous of his wife’s life without him.
Some of the time Colin used to go to bed before Angie came home so he didn’t have to listen to her going on and on about the pub and who said what, inside Colin was beginning to feel inadequate and frustrated and the thought of her talking, flirting and laughing with other men was eating him up.
This all came to a head the night of the charity auction in aid of the local children’s hospice, it was a Saturday night Tony the landlord had got an extension until twelve o’clock, Angie had told Colin and asked him to come she would be working but he could sit at the bar and she would stand with him when she got chance, Colin wasn’t very impressed with that set-up and with money being tight he said no but he would stay up and maybe they could have a glass of larger together before bed.
“That would be lovely Colin, I’ll bring a couple of bottles home with me when I finish “Angie said.
“Will you walk me down to the pub please Colin?”
“Of course I will babes I’ll just get my coat” They set off looking like the perfect couple.
Colin gave Angie a kiss before she went into the bar he declined the offer of having a quick drink and strolled backup to their house feeling very happy and looking forward to her coming home later.
Colin woke with a start, struggling to see the clock, when he got focus he saw it was 12-15, where was Angie, had she come home found me asleep and gone straight to bed?
He went to the bottom of the stairs.
“Angie! Angie! Are you in bed!” no answer he went up to check, the bed was empty, he went back downstairs and had another check of the time.
“12-20 where was she where was Angie.” He sat on the settee wondering what to do next, should he get ready and go down to the pub? Should he ring the police all sorts of things were going through his head, he was getting more wound-up with every passing minuet.
“That’s it!” he shouted to himself, he jumped off the settee and started to put his shoes on when he heard the key in the lock, it was Angie.
“Where have you been, I was worried to death” Angie looked a bit bewildered.
“I told you it was the charity auction tonight darling, Tony got an extension until twelve o’clock don’t you remember me telling you?”
“Oh yes” Colin said remembering the conversation.
“Sorry Angie I forgot, I was about to ring the police.”
“You love” Angie said.
“Well I’m here now safe and sound here” she said handing him a carrier with 4 bottles in.
“Get these open and let’s get snugly on the settee I’ve loads to tell you about tonight it’s been a great night we raised two thousand pounds”
Colin poured a couple of glasses then handing one to Angie sat down beside her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Love you darling” Colin whispers.
“Whoa! That’s nice; I should come home late more often”
“Please don’t” Colin said.
“I don’t think my nerves could stand it, I was worried crazy” Angie laughed.
“I won’t sweetheart, but you know if we got the phone connected I could ring you when I was setting off or going to be late.”
“ We can’t afford Angie not the way things are and especially with the little one on the way, but if all goes well at work I should get that promotion soon then you can stop work and we can spend more time together.”
“They keep promising that promotion Colin, I think they are just saying that so you don’t leave, I don’t th
ink they have any intensions of promoting you. Anyway it doesn’t matter we have my job and Tony says he will keep it for me so I can go back when the babies born and I’ve recovered that’s alright with you isn’t it Colin?”
“We’ll see babes we’ll see, anyway tell me about tonight two thousand pounds eh wow! That’s a lot of money, tell me everything.” Angie sat up straight.
“Well you know Paul and Pauline who own the post office? Well they brought a friend Steve he comes from London works as a broker or something don’t know what that is, anyway you know the vicar does a bit of painting, well he put up a picture of his church he had painted for auction and before anyone else bid Steve shouts fifteen hundred pounds! Well the pub just stopped it was amazing. The vicar nearly choked on his spritzer”
“Steve Eh?” Colin say’s suspiciously.
“What’s he like then?” “Well I didn’t talk to him much.”Angie say’s a bit causally.
“He’s about 32 a bit flash, very good looking, he’s got an apartment overlooking the Thames in London Pauline says he’s loaded, no girlfriend just a cat, drives a top of the range BMW not sure what top of the range is but Bill from the garage say’s “it’s a good un mate ha ha.”
“Oh” Colin said an edge coming into his tone of voice.
“To say you didn’t talk to him much you know a lot about him don’t you?”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Angie asks a bit puzzled.
“Never mind, did he buy you a drink while you were throwing yourself at him?”
“What?” Angie say’s even more confused.
“What you on about Colin? He bought us all a drink I had orange because I thought WE were having a nice drink together when I came home, and I WAS NOT throwing myself at HIM or anyone I don’t know where you get these ideas from but I don’t do things like that, I have a laugh with them that’s all, you know like we used to once?” She could see Colin was getting angry.
“So I’m not good enough for you now is that it?” Colin snaps.
“I never said that you weren’t good enough for me Colin.” Angie say’s trying to calm the situation.
“You asked what he was like I was just telling you what Pauline had told me about him that’s all.”
“Well if he’s so fantastic and I’m such a loser with a rubbish job that doesn’t pay enough to support both of us you may as well sod off with your fancy man hadn’t you.” Angie got to her feet.
“I’m off to bed Colin I’m not staying here to listen to your fantasies anymore” Colin shot up to face her. “You are going nowhere!” he said blocking her way.
“Yes I am Colin now get out of my way please!” Angie tried to push past but Colin spun back round and hit Angie with the back of his hand across the right cheek.
The force of it sent Angie crashing down onto the settee, there was a look of complete shock on her face for a second then the reality of what had just happened sank in and she began to cry.
“What did you do that for?” Angie said through her sobs.
“You made me do it, flirting with other men then rubbing my nose in it. Coming back here telling me how good their life is and how rubbish yours is.”
“I never said anything like that”
“Oh so I’M a liar now am I?”
“I never called you a liar Colin and I’m sorry if you think that, can I go to bed now please.”
“Not until you apologise for belittling me and making me lose my temper and hit you”
“I’m sorry Colin for winding you up I won’t do it again promise, can I go to bed now please”
“No not yet love I thought we were having a quiet drink together tonight?”
“We are but I’ve had enough to drink I need to go to sleep.”
“ Well I haven’t had enough there’s more beer left and I want a proper drink, now get in there and get me another bottle now! Don’t wind me up any more tonight.”
“Ok Colin I’m sorry” Angie sat there while Colin drank the rest of the larger then he looked at her smiled a rancid sickly smile, he put down the empty bottle and turned to her as if nothing had happened.
“Right darling we can go to bed now if you want love” Angie got up without saying a word picked up her handbag and went upstairs followed by Colin belching behind her.
Angie looked in the mirror at the swollen eye it was already starting to bruise. She touched it, it hurt like mad she sobbed quietly to herself.
“This is NOT going to happen to me ever again” But this was just the start of the beatings, he would beat her if the tea was late if she hadn’t done the housework for any reason and each time they were getting worse not to the face as much now more to the body and not just punches he used to kick and stamp on her, and all the time he used to blame her for winding him up on purpose strange thing though after a while she almost accepted the beatings like they were just another part of being married and a man had the right to discipline his wife whenever she had done something wrong or displeased him.
Chapter 2
Vicky was born in June, she was the most beautiful thing Angie had ever seen, her own child, Angie was over the moon even Colin seemed to mellow after the birth, things were looking good Angie thought they had turned a corner maybe they could get back on track and make it work.
Three months after Vicky was born, one Saturday while Angie was in the village doing a bit of shopping at the local shop when she bumped into Tony the landlord of the “Red Lion” he asked her if she was ready to start doing a couple of shifts again, she agreed to start back the following week but only Friday and Saturday evenings to begin with so Colin was at home to look after Vicky and he wasn’t having to work in the morning.
Tony agreed and told her he looked forward to seeing her next week but if there were any problems to call in or give him a ring, rumours about Colin had been spreading through the village and Tony didn’t want to be the cause of any more problems for Angie.
Angie walked home wondering how Colin was going to react about her going back to work but things had been good for the last few months they were getting on great again together so she went home with a smile on her face feeling more positive about telling Colin.
When Angie walked in Colin was just feeding Vicky, he saw Angie and put his finger to his lips.
“Shh” he whispered.
“She’s just dropping off” Angie sat on the settee and Colin put Vicky into her Moses basket by the fire. “There!” He says.
“That’s done; you look pleased with yourself what you planning?”
So Angie tells him about her conversation with Tony.
“So what do you think Colin? Should I go back or what?”
“It’s just Friday and Saturday nights then? Well I think that’s a good idea it will get you out of the house for a bit, I could spend a bit more time with Vicky and the extra money we could put away for a little holiday next year perhaps eh?”
Angie was taken aback by Colin’s reaction she was expecting at least some resistance but nothing, maybe he really had changed.
“Great” Angie say’s.
“I’ll pop in and tell Tony I can start next Friday then.”
Colin agrees and they settle down for a quiet evening in together things are looking good Angie hasn’t felt this happy for ages she smiles to herself maybe an early night is on the cards.
Things were going fine over the next couple of months they were getting on great together they were planning a week away to Bridlington in a caravan owned by one of Colin’s workmates who hires it out during the summer so Colin had got it a bit cheap.
Things were going well at Wormalds they had got a lot of big orders in so much so they had started working seven days a week to get the work out and had recruited extra staff just to cope with the workload; Instead of working on his own Colin had been put in a group of five joiners.
There was Sam Hawksworth who had worked at Wormalds for almost ten years, Colin who was senior with twelve years and three
new staff Tony Savage, Pete Connor and Jake Booth. They were always messing around and cutting corners, this would stress Colin out as he was the one who had to put it right before inspection. Not long after they had started and Colin saw their handiwork he took them to one side and in no uncertain terms told them if they didn’t book their ideas up and improved the quality of their work he would have no alternative but to report them to the works Manager, he was fed up of having to sort out their shoddy work.
This had been a bad idea Tony Savage was a bully who would hit first then ask questions. The three of them dragged Colin out of the fire door at the back of the building, Tony slammed Colin up against the factory wall and pressing his forearm against Colin’s throat Pete and Jake pressing his shoulders against the building, Tony leaned forward his nose almost touching Colin’s Tony could see the fear in Colin’s eyes and laughed.
